In 2012 Darrell Markewitz of the Wareham Forge applied for - and received - a grant from the Ontario Arts Council. The purpose of this Craft Project - Creation and Development Grant was defined :
"... is to cover three months of dedicated time to allow me to develop a practical understanding of how to convert ten year's production of raw iron blooms into working bars".
This blog will be an ongoing record of this project...

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Continuing to Objects...

Although the Bloom 2 Bar Project is officially completed, I thought I might continue the occasional posting here that would relate directly to the work of the project.

I really wanted at least *something* new for the Goderich Celtic Festival, and Summerfolk
the weekend following (Only three clear days between them, and there is
an offload and re-pack in there too.)

The ideal would be to have something as completed objects that represented the three months I spent on the Bloom To Bar project:

Starting billets - bloom iron with spring steel cores

Rough forged blade blanks

I had prepared two billets I intended to lead to a very specific bladesmithing design. The top one is iron from Slag Pit 2 ( # 49 , November 2011 ) an the bottom from Black Rock
(# 14, February 2006 ) In both cases the iron was deliberately used
before much welding and folding had been done, specifically to allow
cracks and irregular edges. I actually had gone a bit *too* far on the
Slag Pit 2 iron, ending up with most all the flaws removed. For the
second attempt, I was able to restrain my natural desire to forge in all
the imperfections.

In the lower image, the two blanks are at different stages in completion.
The top blade has had the blade profile roughed out, and the first pass
on forging the edge completed. The hilt is only vaguely shaped at this
point however.
The bottom blade is complete in its forging. I had ground the rough
forging to the basic lines I wanted for the finished knife. I find it
easier to check for warps and wobbles if I do this first. Then the blade
was forged again, first to correct any irregularities, second to refine
the edge. (Forge thin - grind thinner). It is now ready to be surface
ground, then the finished surface to be created on the belt sanders.
Then heat treated. Then finish polishing. (The actual forging out of the
knife shape is by far the fastest part of the whole process!)

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February 15 - May 15, 2012 : Supported by a Crafts Projects - Creation and Development Grant

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All posted text and images @ Darrell Markewitz. No duplication, in whole
or in part, is permitted without the author's expressed written permission.
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